


averagely enough

by watergator



Series: dnp tour fics 2018 [6]
Category: Phandom/The Fantastic Foursome (YouTube RPF)
Genre: Fluff, M/M, Parent-Child Relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-07
Updated: 2018-08-07
Packaged: 2019-06-23 11:51:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,561
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15605688
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/watergator/pseuds/watergator
Summary: dan's dad unexpectedly texts him whilst on tour





	averagely enough

When Dan’s phone buzzes beside him as he lays flatly on his bunk, he’s sure it’ll be another text from Phil who’s below him probably sending him another link to a funny dog video he’s found.  
  
But when he grabs for his phone blindly and unlocks it, eyes squinting in the night time darkness, he nearly sits up and smacks his head on the ceiling in shock to see that it’s from his dad, of all people.  
  
He does however, shuffle his butt up against his pillow in an attempt to get comfortable, his neck craning just slightly.  
  
He looks at the message that’s illuminated on his screen with a frown,

 _Dad: Hey Daniel, haven’t spoken in a while. Wanted to make sure you’re doing well on the trip. Text me._  
  
Dan swallows thickly. His dad never texts him, ever. He scrolls to the last text conversation they’d had and is proven right by the little date that reads December.  
  
He’s not entirely sure how to even respond. He’s not exactly the closest with his dad, and since he moved out of Dan’s family home a few years ago he can’t argue that they’d drifted a considerable amount apart.  
  
He looks over at the text again, trying to make sense of it all.  
  
His dad hadn’t come to the tour back in London. He’d been there for tatinof, but when Dan told his parents that he’d hold seats for them and Dan’s dad never bothered to respond, Dan dropped the extra seat and settled just for his mum, grandma and Adrian. It didn’t bother him that Phil had his whole family trailing down to see him. In fact, Dan gave his dad’s seat to one of Phil’s cousins instead.  
  
It wasn’t a while later that his mum had phoned to tell Dan that his dad had been sorry not to make it. Dan didn’t really care. He didn’t want the added aggravation of an empty seat beside his mother with speculating fans. It just wasn’t worth it.  
  
_Dan: hey dad, how are u ? the tour is going really great thanks_  
  
He hits send without really thinking. It’s as generic as texts go and Dan isn’t sure he really wants to open up for conversation right now. It’s late, but he’s hardly tired, it’s just that talking to his dad is hard sometimes.  
  
He remembers being a kid and how his dad would encourage him to be more like him. His dad loved football and sport whilst Dan would shrug him off and slunk to his room to play videogames. He and his dad had almost nothing in common which made it hard for much of a relationship to form between them.  
  
_Dad: Good to hear. I’m doing good thank you. I was just thinking how you haven’t been down in so long. Do you still visit mum and nan? Next time you’re down you should come visit._  
  
Guilt twists in Dan’s stomach. He’s not sure why, it’s not as if he’s picking and choosing; he barely visits his mum enough, and it’s not as if he’s avoiding his dad at all. He simply doesn’t go down there at all.  
  
But there’s that shrinking feeling that you get when you disappoint a parent that Dan feels blooming in his chest.  
  
_Dan: yh that’d be cool actually. i’ll let u know when im next down and we can hang out or something lol_

Dan hates how pitiful it sounds, like he’s doing nothing but a favour for his poor father. He doesn’t want that but he can’t help but feel like that.  
  
_Dad: That would be lovely Daniel._  
  
His dad isn’t a bad person. He’s decent. Not the best father in the world but by far from the worst. They did share some of the same interests that Dan picked up later in life, like Formula 1 and some of this music he liked. His dad was averagely alright, and to Dan that was enough.  
  
He wasn’t Phil’s dad; but then again Phil and his dad weren’t exactly best friends. Coming from a close knit family was the mutual bond they had together. Phil, his mum and dad could hang out and talk for hours, but remove Katherine from the equation and Phil and his dad would find it difficult to hold a proper conversation together.  
  
_Dad: Have you spoken to mum? She said the show was brilliant. I’m sorry I couldn’t make it. We’re proud of you._  
  
Dan does feel a little warm at that. It’s nice to see his parents still do talk to each other. They’d gotten together very young, gotten pregnant by accident and simply co-existed together simply for the sake of Dan growing up. They never really loved each other.  
  
They’d gotten married, raised a family without really thinking too much about it.  
  
When Dan had spoken to his mum when they’d decided to split off from each other, she’d told him that her and his father always seemed like friends with kids rather than husband and wife with kids. It made Dan feel a little sad.  
  
He hears Phil groan in his sleep below him and a smile forms on his lips.  
  
As selfish as it sounds, Dan is so glad he didn’t ever end up like that. His parents probably wasted their lives with the wrong people, never really falling in love for the right reasons; but Dan had. He had Phil and he was thankful for that.  
  
_Dan: it’s okay. i’m sorry you couldn’t come too but i’m glad mum enjoyed it. we’re actually filming one of the shows so ik it’s not the same thing but when it’s released u can watch it and give me ur best review lol_

 He _is_ sorry his dad couldn’t make it. It hurts a little knowing that the relationship between them is always something that hangs in the air; unsure. But he knows his dad has good intentions. He always tried, even if he hardly ended up succeeding. It was always enough for Dan.  
  
_Dad: That’s amazing Daniel. I’m looking forward to it. You and Phil should be proud of yourselves._  
  
There’s a lump in Dan’s throat and there’s no way he’s going to cry. The mention of Phil’s name makes his heart stutter and he does feel proud. He feels so fucking unbelievably proud, and the acknowledgment from his dad, of everyone, is so touching that maybe a few tears do bubble up behind his eyes.  
  
_Dan: lmao thanks dad probs gonna need a break after this lol_

 Dan sends after a few deep breaths. He remembers coming out to his dad back when he was a scared eighteen-year-old with a shaky breaths and weak legs. He remembers his dad going quiet and walking away. He vividly remembers the week they didn’t so much as maintain eye contact. Not until one day his dad seemed to snap out of it and they never mentioned it ever again.  
  
It was never ‘Phil, your boyfriend’, just ‘Phil’ – avoiding the topic of Dan being gay, or bi, or whatever. His dad never really cared. He didn’t understand, so he kept his distance. He wishes it could have been different.  
  
_Dad: Yes. Mum told me you were thinking into buying a house together soon after? That’s good news!_  
  
Maybe he is trying to understand a little more. And maybe he’s nine years a little late, but it’s better than nothing.  
  
_Dan: yh we’ve been looking somewhere outside of london. maybe when we’re looking u could come down and look with us?_  
  
He remembers moving to London the first time, how Phil’s parents had stood in their empty living room giving the two of them all sorts of advice, how Phil’s dad had given them some tips on hanging shelves and Katherine had bought over some food.  
  
It’d be nice to have that with his dad; to listen to some advice on peeling wallpaper that Dan’s not going to listen to and have to phone him back up a week later because he’s not sure what he’s doing.  
  
_Dad: Of course._  
  
It’s not a promise, and maybe when it comes down to it Dan won’t ask, or he will and his dad’ll drop out and not come anyways, but it’s something.  
  
Dan lets out a stifled yawn, stretching his long legs as far as they’ll go on the cramped bus. He wonders what time it is in Reading where his dad is.  
  
_Dan: i’m gonna head to bed now dad if that’s okay got a long day tomorrow. thanks for texting me though – i’ll keep in touch yeah?_  
  
Dan slips back down against the mattress, letting his head sink comfortably into the pillow as he waits for his reply,  
  
_Dad: Of course. Get some sleep Daniel. Give my best wishes to Phil and everyone else. Have fun. Goodnight._  
  
There’s no ‘I love you’ or ‘I miss you’ because at the end of the day it’s still the same old dad. Maybe with an extra pinch of effort, but some things never really change.  
  
But as Dan sends out his last text, he has a comfortable feeling of happiness in his chest, of love. It’s something he doesn’t expect much from his parents and it’s so different from the love he feels from Phil.  
  
But it feels good nonetheless.  
  
_Dan: night dad :)_  


**Author's Note:**

> (just wanted to point out that i do not obviously know anything of dan's family situation and this is purely just fiction.)
> 
> come say hi on tumblr !! @watergator


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